Various methods and systems to protect a target file from damage are possible, and particularly, methods and systems may prevent data damage that occurs due to disruption while the target file is open for writing.
Flash memory devices are very well known in the art of computer engineering.
The normal way of storing information in such memories is in data files that are managed by the operating system.
It is a known property of flash storage systems that a data file is vulnerable to data damages if certain unexpected events, such as power failures or software crashes, occur while the file is open for writing. This poses a severe problem because writing into a file is routinely necessary, and a file must be open for writing in order for it to be updated.
Solutions have been developed for software applications to handle files in special ways that reduce the risk. Such solutions can be seen in many word processing applications, which periodically makes a backup copy of open files. Alternatively, a fix utility runs post-effect, when corruption of the file has been detected. However, such solutions are application dependent, slowing down the development of applications, and are a source of other types of problems due to programming errors. Furthermore, when a running application is protecting an original version of a file and also keeping an updated temporary copy, there arises a problem of access conflicts (if a different application calls the file, which file will it access?). This requires inconvenient locking of files. Protection methodologies are also available for system-wide file protection schemes, which constantly update permanent backup copies of an entire data storage device or particular important data. Keeping a permanent back up requires significant data storage space and system resources to constantly check and update files.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a solution that allows any application to use any data file without the risk that the file will be damaged due to the above-mentioned causes and without keeping a permanent back up copy.